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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. current — of water
  3. sharp — clever
  4. root — the cause
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. wax — to grow
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. current — electric
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. net — in sport
  23. root — of a word
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com